After all, this is normal, because it is a movie, not a documentary. The main purpose of movies is to entertain rather than inform. Let's analyze all this.
First of all, Maximus, the hero of the film, never really existed. This is just an invention of the screenwriter.
Opening battle
The film begins with a battle between the Roman legion and the German army at the imperial border. There are right and wrong in history.
The action took place in a.d. 180. Indeed, the Roman Empire at this time was violently attacked by these Germanic tribes, especially Guidi and Makomani.
In addition, before the battle, we saw that the Roman legion needed time to prepare, form and adjust the slingshot.
This long and meticulous preparation is accurate in history. This is also a weakness, because if the enemy attacks the Romans by surprise and they are not ready, then the battle may be very bad for them.
On the other hand, this film is hardly representative of German soldiers. They are not barbarians, they just rush at the enemy at will. Instead, we used real tactics and tactics. In addition, their military structure, even including the legion.
The real Germanic barbarians don't look like the barbarians in the movie. They are much more complicated.
Marcus aurelius
At the beginning of the film, the empire was ruled by Marcus Aurelius. He is regarded as a great emperor, intelligent and capable. This is the real him. His rule is even considered as one of the golden ages of Rome.
He is also described as a philosopher, but he is still accurate. Marcus Aurelius is a tenacious painter. He even wrote Meditation, which is now considered as one of the greatest works of Stoicism.
One of the best emperors in Roman history.
On the other hand, unlike the movie version, Marcus Aurelius never wanted to restore the Republic. Besides, he really wants his son Commodus to succeed him. He even trained him in this posture since he was a child.
Finally, historians are not sure, but Marcus Aurelius may not have been murdered by his son. As shown in the film, the emperor spent most of his time in the war, which seriously damaged his health. So, he died in the military camp, probably because of illness.
gladiator
The film seriously misunderstood the life of gladiators. On the screen, they are easily killed or even slaughtered. In other words, they are "sword feeders".